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IMPORTANT
This is intended mostly as a modder resource, for NPCs. Please do set it unusable by the player if you do so.
If you plan to ever use it on your main character, you MUST buy the Replacement Pip-Boy 3000 too. (It costs nothing.) Always remove the shield by equipping the Replacement Pip-Boy 3000, otherwise you'll have no PipBoy any more.
Equipping it on companions, of course, has no such problems.
WHAT IT DOES
It adds two versions of the well known legionary shield. The mesh is based on the dimensions of the historical Fayum Scutum as well as the first Dura Europas Scutum, which also means it's really very curved. The numbers for the Fayum Scutum work out to an about 160 degree arc, which is just a iota short of a full semicircle.
At any rate, both versions are 24 inch wide, with a 10 inch cord, or a bit over 34 inch along the curve. They're also 50 inch tall, and half an inch thick. (Historically it would thin to 1/4 along the edges, but that would be a bit too thin against rifles. Plus half an inch at the edge is more in line with Polybius's description.)
I gave them the iron bracing along the edge that Polybius mentions, and an own face pattern loosely based on the wings and thunderbolts motifs on Trajan's column. The exact texture of the face is anyone's guess, anyway, as different units had different images, plus the shields seem to have had all sorts of materials on the face, from leather (see, Polybius and Caesar,) to just cloth, to felt (the actual Fayum Scutum aracheological find.)
I had a choice of a boss with a round or a rectangular base, as both are amply supported by archaeological evidence, with maybe the round one winning for 1'st century BC, which is to say Caesar's era. Because of that and also because everyone else usually ports the same tutorial texture with a square boss, I went with the round one.
The slightly ahistorical part is the positioning. While the axis being along the arm is correct -- yes, it was held like a briefcase -- I placed it a bit higher and farther away from the body, to reduce clipping. Ultimately I'm not making museum pieces, but pieces to be worn in Fallout New Vegas, so they have to work with the lack of shield animations in New Vegas.
They can be repaired with leather armors. (Well, the face covering, anyway;))
The mesh versions are:
1. Fayum Scutum: this is the historical Roman Republic scutum that Caesar's troops likely used. It is actually an oval shield. Earlier republic versions had a central rib on the face and an oval boss, though by Caesar's time probably the model here is the correct one.
2. Imperial Scutum: This is the curved rectangular shield that everyone knows. Hollywood and reenactors tend to favour this one. Although most people seem to think this is THE Marian-age legionary shield, actually it only came into use in the second half of the 1st century CE, which is to say, about a century after Caesar. The dimensions are actually about right for the historical Dura Europas shield from circa 250 CE, if you curve it to an 160 degrees arc, except a little taller, to fit a taller modern human. It also has the square corners of the Dura Europas shield.
Here comes the second complication, due to the fact that I had to put it in the PipBoy slot to be worn right. So each of the two shields comes in two versions:
A. Player: this one has the PipBoy too, which is necessary to play the game. This is for YOU, the player.
Of course, it works on NPCs too, but then they will appear to have a PipBoy too. Which might actually be ok on Veronica but would look funny on, say, legion recruits.
B. NPC: this one doesn't have the PipBoy. Give NPC shields to your companion(s).
Do not equip an NPC scutum on your own character, EVER. This will remove your PipBoy and make it impossible to even remove the scutum, short of reloading an earlier save.
KNOWN ISSUES
Fallout New Vegas doesn't actually have shield animations, so it will just hang on your arm. It also doesn't prevent you from using two-handed weapons, though some clipping may or may not ensue if you do. Your choice. If you're repulsed by the idea of using a shield and a rifle or spear, by all means, just remove the shielf first.
Also because of game support, it doesn't actually aid in blocking, but offers a global boost to your damage resistance, all the time.
OPTIONAL RETEXTURE
I've provided a dirty and rusty texture as an optional download, for people who actually like all the rust and dirt in Bethesda's version of the Fallout universe. Up to you if you want it or not. If you do, you'll need the .esp plugin file from the main file, so the easiest way is to install the main file first and then simply unpack the optional file on top of it in your Data directory.
UV MAP
I have provided some simple UV Maps for both shields in the image galery. (Not in the .zip.) You know, in case you want to do your own retexturing without much fuss. The colour codes are like this:
RED: the face cover, where you'd have your nice yellow-on-red legion pattern painted
GREEN: the back. Historically this can be wood, leather, or cloth, or for an improvised shield (as per De Bello Galilco) even woven wicker
BLUE: the metal of the boss and the bracing along the sides. Historically this can be iron, brass, even leather or felt
Basically, in case you disagree with my textures, just select the region by colour in Photoshop or GIMP or just about any serious image editor and fill with whatever texture you like more. It's easy and fun.
HOW TO GET IT
I gave 1 of each to Chet in Goodsprings, so you can buy either from him.
HOW TO INSTALL IT
Extract the archive, with directories, in your "fallout new vegas\Data" folder. Select it in the list of plugin files in the launcher.
HOW TO UNINSTALL IT
Delete the .esp file from your Data directory.
Delete the MScutum directory in both the Meshes and Textures directories.
CONFLICTS
It shouldn't conflict with anything. But it can't be worn at the same time as anything else that is equipped into the PipBoy slot. E.g., you can't wear a scutum and a PimpBoy.
VERSION HISTORY
1.0:
First NV Release
This is intended mostly as a modder resource, for NPCs. Please do set it unusable by the player if you do so.
If you plan to ever use it on your main character, you MUST buy the Replacement Pip-Boy 3000 too. (It costs nothing.) Always remove the shield by equipping the Replacement Pip-Boy 3000, otherwise you'll have no PipBoy any more.
Equipping it on companions, of course, has no such problems.
WHAT IT DOES
It adds two versions of the well known legionary shield. The mesh is based on the dimensions of the historical Fayum Scutum as well as the first Dura Europas Scutum, which also means it's really very curved. The numbers for the Fayum Scutum work out to an about 160 degree arc, which is just a iota short of a full semicircle.
At any rate, both versions are 24 inch wide, with a 10 inch cord, or a bit over 34 inch along the curve. They're also 50 inch tall, and half an inch thick. (Historically it would thin to 1/4 along the edges, but that would be a bit too thin against rifles. Plus half an inch at the edge is more in line with Polybius's description.)
I gave them the iron bracing along the edge that Polybius mentions, and an own face pattern loosely based on the wings and thunderbolts motifs on Trajan's column. The exact texture of the face is anyone's guess, anyway, as different units had different images, plus the shields seem to have had all sorts of materials on the face, from leather (see, Polybius and Caesar,) to just cloth, to felt (the actual Fayum Scutum aracheological find.)
I had a choice of a boss with a round or a rectangular base, as both are amply supported by archaeological evidence, with maybe the round one winning for 1'st century BC, which is to say Caesar's era. Because of that and also because everyone else usually ports the same tutorial texture with a square boss, I went with the round one.
The slightly ahistorical part is the positioning. While the axis being along the arm is correct -- yes, it was held like a briefcase -- I placed it a bit higher and farther away from the body, to reduce clipping. Ultimately I'm not making museum pieces, but pieces to be worn in Fallout New Vegas, so they have to work with the lack of shield animations in New Vegas.
They can be repaired with leather armors. (Well, the face covering, anyway;))
The mesh versions are:
1. Fayum Scutum: this is the historical Roman Republic scutum that Caesar's troops likely used. It is actually an oval shield. Earlier republic versions had a central rib on the face and an oval boss, though by Caesar's time probably the model here is the correct one.
2. Imperial Scutum: This is the curved rectangular shield that everyone knows. Hollywood and reenactors tend to favour this one. Although most people seem to think this is THE Marian-age legionary shield, actually it only came into use in the second half of the 1st century CE, which is to say, about a century after Caesar. The dimensions are actually about right for the historical Dura Europas shield from circa 250 CE, if you curve it to an 160 degrees arc, except a little taller, to fit a taller modern human. It also has the square corners of the Dura Europas shield.
Here comes the second complication, due to the fact that I had to put it in the PipBoy slot to be worn right. So each of the two shields comes in two versions:
A. Player: this one has the PipBoy too, which is necessary to play the game. This is for YOU, the player.
Of course, it works on NPCs too, but then they will appear to have a PipBoy too. Which might actually be ok on Veronica but would look funny on, say, legion recruits.
B. NPC: this one doesn't have the PipBoy. Give NPC shields to your companion(s).
Do not equip an NPC scutum on your own character, EVER. This will remove your PipBoy and make it impossible to even remove the scutum, short of reloading an earlier save.
KNOWN ISSUES
Fallout New Vegas doesn't actually have shield animations, so it will just hang on your arm. It also doesn't prevent you from using two-handed weapons, though some clipping may or may not ensue if you do. Your choice. If you're repulsed by the idea of using a shield and a rifle or spear, by all means, just remove the shielf first.
Also because of game support, it doesn't actually aid in blocking, but offers a global boost to your damage resistance, all the time.
OPTIONAL RETEXTURE
I've provided a dirty and rusty texture as an optional download, for people who actually like all the rust and dirt in Bethesda's version of the Fallout universe. Up to you if you want it or not. If you do, you'll need the .esp plugin file from the main file, so the easiest way is to install the main file first and then simply unpack the optional file on top of it in your Data directory.
UV MAP
I have provided some simple UV Maps for both shields in the image galery. (Not in the .zip.) You know, in case you want to do your own retexturing without much fuss. The colour codes are like this:
RED: the face cover, where you'd have your nice yellow-on-red legion pattern painted
GREEN: the back. Historically this can be wood, leather, or cloth, or for an improvised shield (as per De Bello Galilco) even woven wicker
BLUE: the metal of the boss and the bracing along the sides. Historically this can be iron, brass, even leather or felt
Basically, in case you disagree with my textures, just select the region by colour in Photoshop or GIMP or just about any serious image editor and fill with whatever texture you like more. It's easy and fun.
HOW TO GET IT
I gave 1 of each to Chet in Goodsprings, so you can buy either from him.
HOW TO INSTALL IT
Extract the archive, with directories, in your "fallout new vegas\Data" folder. Select it in the list of plugin files in the launcher.
HOW TO UNINSTALL IT
Delete the .esp file from your Data directory.
Delete the MScutum directory in both the Meshes and Textures directories.
CONFLICTS
It shouldn't conflict with anything. But it can't be worn at the same time as anything else that is equipped into the PipBoy slot. E.g., you can't wear a scutum and a PimpBoy.
VERSION HISTORY
1.0:
First NV Release